Presidential Power Overreach? Examining Trump's Executive Orders Against Critics

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Presidential power takes center stage as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer faces fierce Democratic backlash after appearing alongside President Trump at a White House signing ceremony. What began as a scheduled private meeting to discuss the future of Selfridge Air Force Base transformed into what one anonymous Democratic operative called an "effing disaster" when Whitmer stood by as Trump signed controversial executive orders.

The most troubling aspect of this event wasn't just Whitmer's presence, but the nature of what Trump signed – directives ordering investigations of former administration officials who had criticized him. This formal weaponization of executive authority against perceived personal enemies represents a significant escalation from previous informal efforts. Trump also targeted Sussman Godfrey, the law firm behind successful defamation suits against outlets that spread election misinformation, including Fox News' massive $787 million settlement.

Meanwhile, on the local level, cultural battles continue to simmer as a Maine school board meeting erupted when officials silenced a parent in Trump merchandise who attempted to speak against transgender athlete participation in girls sports. These interconnected stories paint a portrait of America's current political landscape – where bipartisan cooperation brings swift party punishment, executive power faces diminishing constraints, and community forums struggle to manage our deepest divisions. What happens when political leadership crosses the line from governance to retribution? The answer may define the future of American democracy.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, good morning.
Welcome to An AmericanistPodcast, glad you are here.
We are going.
We have two stories, and I'mgoing to touch on another one
because I want to write aboutthe other one at my blog,
anamericanistcom.
First, though, we're going totalk about Big Gretch being at
the White House, and theDemocrats are upset.

(00:23):
Gretchen Whitmer angers Demswith Trump meeting at White
House Effing disaster.
Apparently, she went there.
She's been working closely withTrump about keeping the Air
Force Base Selfridge I think itis what it's called open in her
state and funded, and blah, blah, blah Also.

(00:43):
Also, she agrees with him ontariffs.
That's kind of breaking from,uh, the pack from the democrats.
All right, we're going to readon michigan.
Governor gritchin whitmer isunder fire from fellow democrats
after appearing alongsidepresident trump during a white
house signing ceremony, sparkingaccusations that she was used

(01:06):
as a political prop.
Just a effing disaster, saidone Democratic operative.
I would like to know who thatis, please, who usually supports
Whitmer but spoke anonymouslyto NBC News.
If you're going to saysomething, say it with your name
, don't do it anonymously, youlittle fraidy cat.
It feels like it removes someof the momentum she had as a

(01:29):
political savvy swing state Dem.
Did it Really has it?
Does she really even have anymomentum?
I don't think so.
People were just talking abouther in the news.
It doesn't mean she hasmomentum on anything.
Whitmer was in Washington forwhat was supposed to be a
private meeting with Trump onWednesday.
Instead, she ended up standingoff to the side as the president

(01:54):
.
Now get this.
This is what I'm going to talkabout later.
Oh my gosh, and it cracks me up, because this story just kind
of skims over it, I guessbecause it was about Gretchen
Whitmer.
All right, here we go.
I'm going to read it again, I'mgoing to start again and then
I'll finish it.
Whitmer was in Washington forwhat was supposed to be a
private meeting with Trump onWednesday.
Instead, she ended up standingoff to the side as the president

(02:17):
signed executive orders callingfor the investigation of two
first-term administration aideswho were critical of his actions
.
Many of the orders were notbacked by Whitmer, but her
presence near the Resolute Deskgave the appearance of support,
an image that didn't gounnoticed by members of her
party.
So you notice how this articlejust skimmed over the part about

(02:39):
the investigation of the firsttwo-term administration aides
that he signed executive ordersto go after.
Oh my gosh, okay, that's comingup next.
So, anyway, whitmer went to thewhite house.
The Dems are upset.
What do you think about that?
I don't really, I don't reallygive a crap.
But here we go onto the nextone.

(02:59):
Here is here's the story aboutthe two aides that are being
investigated because DonaldTrump signed an executive order.
I don't know how I feel aboutthis, and you notice that none
of the conservative outlets arecovering this, but I found it on
Politico, the New York Times,all of the liberal media and, of

(03:21):
course, the New York.
I don't know well, the New YorkPost just skimmed over it in
the Gretchen Whitmer article.
But now here we are at the NewYork Times.
Trump escalates use of officialpower to intimidate and punish
his perceived foes.
A presidential decreeinstructing the Justice
Department to scrutinize whethera former official broke the law

(03:43):
crosses a new line.
Official broke the law crossesa new line.
President Trump's first-termefforts to spur law enforcement
officials to pursue hispolitical enemies were haphazard
, informal and often hashed outin private.
Now his demands forinvestigations are starting to
become a more formalized throughwritten presidential decrees,
as he seeks to use the power ofthe public office to punish

(04:06):
people and companies he has castas enemies and silent potential
critics.
What do you think of this?
On Wednesday, mr Trump crosseda new line.
Now again this is written bythe New York Times, flanked by
senior aides and cabinetsecretaries the president signed
presidential memos that singledout two officials from his

(04:27):
first term who had either defiedor simply contradicted him.
In a clear escalation, hedirected the government to
examine their actions for anycriminal wrongdoing.
What in the world?
I don't know how I feel aboutthis.
My first inclination is to sayno, mr President, don't do this.
But then again I'm like well,why not?

(04:49):
The president signed a third.
I don't know, because I guessit's because it's kind of
official, signing executiveorders and stuff.
Can't you just have your peoplein the background?
Do it in the background.
You know what I'm saying.
You know what I'm saying.
The president signed a thirdorder, his most recent attack on
law firms for taking clients orhiring former officials he did

(05:11):
not like, this time targetingthe law firm Sussman Godfrey.
The firm has led successfuldefamation suits against news
outlets that spread Mr Trump'selection lies, including a 787
million settlement paid by FoxNews.
I remember that when thathappened.
All right.
So he is going after his publicenemy, his enemies, who he

(05:34):
thinks is enemies, just becausethey criticized him.
This is not good, and it alsoexplains why everybody's kissing
his ass in front of thetelevision, in front of the
cameras, when they're allsitting around the table taking
their turns talking.
Oh, I don't know how I feelabout this.
All right, now this third thingthat I want to write about.
I'm just.
I put it out on my X file underan Americanist and it's called

(05:57):
by the New York Post.
The title is Maine, the stateMaine.
Maga parent.
Silenced at school boardmeeting during speech opposing
trans athletes in girls sports.
He's wearing a MAGA hat.
Silenced at school boardmeeting during speech opposing
trans athletes in girls sports.
He's wearing a MAGA hat and ashirt.
I forgot what the shirt says,but I'm going to write about
this today on an Americanist,because this is still happening.
A school board meeting inMaine's capital city in of

(06:19):
Augusta, on Wednesday nightfeatured a contentious
interaction between a parent ina MAGA hat and the school board
president over the state'songoing controversy over trans
athletes inclusion in girlssports.
So this is still happening.
Just wanted to let you know, um, and I'm going to write about
this today, I think augustaschool board chair martha witham

(06:43):
cut off.
He cut off local parent NickBlanchard while he discussed the
controversial issue in apetition he launched to have
Cone Middle and High SchoolPrincipal Kim Lipscomb removed
from her position, as seen infootage of the meeting.
So I'll have to go find thevideo and all of that stuff and
we're going to write about thattoday.

(07:04):
Alright, so it's Friday.
I guess we're going to keepthis short and I need a question
of that stuff and we're goingto talk.
We're going to write about thattoday.
All right, so it's Friday.
I guess we're going to keepthis short and I need a question
of the day First, though,before we get to the question of
the day.
Um, I'm probably not going todo a Liberty line anymore.
I'll go ahead because I forgotto promote it this week and I
really, even if I did promote it, I don't think anybody would
have submitted anything extra.
I do have two submissions, so Iwill put that together on

(07:25):
Sunday and put that out.
Thank you for the two peoplewho participated.
I appreciate it.
So I'm not going to do thatanymore.
All right, question of the day.
Mr Shons said I have a signaturewhere, I repeat, you know a
line and I didn't know, I didn'trealize I did that and I didn't

(07:47):
know, I didn't realize I didthat.
So my question to you isgrowing up, listening to radio
or listening to TV throughoutthe years, growing up, who was
your favorite, what was yourfavorite signature from either a
radio host or a newscaster orsomething like that?
What kind of signature did theyhave that you really liked and
sometimes even repeat on yourown today?

(08:08):
That's the question.
I can't think of anything.
Paul Harvey comes to mind forsome reason, and that's didn't
he.
Isn't he the one that said andthat's the rest of the story, or
something like that.
So that's the question.
All right, thanks for listening.
Have a great weekend.
The Gent and I will be back on,is it?
Do we do it sat?
No, we do it Sundays broodawakening as our podcast that we

(08:32):
do together once a week, and wewill be I'll put that on out on
Sunday morning too.
We also have a birthday partyto go to on Sunday.
The grand cam Okay turns threein a couple of days.
It's also my daughter'sbirthday.
She's 30 today.
Happy birthday.
All right, she doesn't listento this, but all right, gotta go
.
Uh, thanks for listening andlove y'all.

(08:53):
Thanks, Bye.